Ka Word

I'm back beeotches

2009-01-22T20:59:00.000-05:00

check me out here

KaWord is moving

2009-01-22T13:24:00.001-05:00

details soon...

just add a jolly rancher

2008-11-13T16:33:00.006-05:00

Nothing like sitting in a two-hour HR orientation to suck away your will to live...thankfully Google Reader greeted me with a few gems upon my return to civilization.

There's nothing like fireland's Twitter feed to make me feel a little less pathetic, and a lot more sane. Love it!

This guy must be a least mildly demented...but he's f'n ha-lar-eeee-ouss. I feel sure if I was single I'd be dying to get dumped by him.

I've lost my voice

2008-11-10T13:28:00.003-05:00

not literally...just sort of losing sight of the whole blogging thing

maybe its the weather

maybe its the short days taking their toll

maybe its just life getting in the way

hopefully some pretty pictures will bring me out of my funk

Defeat

2008-10-29T22:29:00.004-04:00

I'm admitting it. I'm a sore loser.

We were officially knocked out of AT's Fall Colors Contest. We definitely had a good run -- and many thanks to all those that voted for us. I know how much dedication it took to figure out AT's nightmarish navigation.

So sadly my dreams of a CB2 shopping spree are abandoned, but I must say I was tickled pink to discover a decent little consolation prize.

It seems my little kitchen made it to the front page of my all time favorite blog...right next to a shot of my all time favorite magazine. Pretty cool, huh? At least it gives me hope that someday, somehow I'll have my name alongside these icons on a regular basis. So until I'm sharing swatches with Kelly Wearstler and shopping for tchotchkes with Jonathan Adler, I'll guess I'll just keep trucking along...making things pretty as I go.

Watch out bitches -- get in my way and you're likely to end up covered in a fresh coat of paint.

xoxo

The Suspense is Killing Me

2008-10-27T12:57:00.002-04:00

AT's Fall Color Contest is in full swing and I did manage to get some decent (and I use that term very loosely....I SUCK at photography!) shots taken of our home submitted.

So far we've squeezed through to the second round of voting... but I'm was thoroughly convinced we're going to get stomped in this round. Our competition's home is so cheerful and colorful. We've currently tied. How ridiculous is that?!?

Help a girl out -- I promise to bring more snarky design chatter your way :)

I need your votes TODAY.

Aging

2008-10-25T23:26:00.004-04:00

You know you're getting old when your idea of a hot Saturday night is sitting home and scoring a vintage ceramic toast rack that you're going to use to sort mail.

My liver would like to thank Domino magazine and Eddie Ross for the much needed relief.

Another weekend, another project

2008-10-24T14:40:00.005-04:00

Our bedroom isn't even really finished (the hubs hasn't done my striped wall... and I haven't hung art or replaced the outlet covers), yet I already have the itch.

I think our entrance will be my next endeavor.

Here are my dream stairs:

(love, love, LOVE the black and white risers)

and the color I plan on painting our front door:

and the FLOR samples I ordered:

(b/c our fugly tile soooo has to go)

and what I'm eyeing for my next ikea pilgrimage:

and I'm on the hunt for the perfect pale, pale grey. Any suggestions?

(I think I'm liking the look of Grand...or maybe Weathered Stone.)

Bananas

2008-10-22T22:53:00.002-04:00

Five dollars at a time...

2008-10-20T14:52:00.004-04:00

You know the problem with etsy?

Other than it being the biggest time suck in the world wide web, that damed 'Pounce' feature forces me to buy things I never knew I needed.

For example, I now own this:

And I don't really know why. But I HAD to have it.

And Paypal makes it so easy. Three little clicks and a package miraculously appears at my door few days later.

My postman must think I have a problem.

Who am I kidding?

He's sooo right.

I now own these too.

Yes.

That's right.

One hundred vintage subtraction flash cards.

You're saying WTF. Really, Monica. Why?!?

But, to quote a furry friend, "I has a system. Srsly."

And it's going to rule. I swear. Something like this.

Hand me a glob of sticky tack and I'll make an art installation.

Okay....so maybe I do need etsy rehab. Anyone care to join me?

Gratuitous Pretty

2008-10-15T20:54:00.004-04:00

Getting Started

2008-10-11T16:33:00.006-04:00

(If anyone out there is reading this and not familiar with Apartment Therapy and wondering why I'm going to be spending the next few weeks rambling on about things mundane things like bathtub grout and the proper way to iron curtains, I highly suggest you check out the site and get your hands on a copy of the book.

Finding this site ranks up there with meeting my husband and buying my first push up bra. Seriously. It's life-changing. Not only did I discover that there were a group of design crazies out there just like me, but it put me in touch with and endless trove of the best resources and advice for everything home-related. The site's House Tours fulfilled my voyeuristic need to peek into sweet urban spaces that a little girl in Kentucky would never normally have access to and the book helped me transform my fur-covered hovel into a comfortable, mostly clean, almost chic home. Aided by the book and a group of fellow AT-ers on flickr, I'm embarking on my third "Cure." So for whoever is ready this (hi mom), I hope I don't bore you to death. This process can be a bit tedious, but I find sharing all the messy details can be cathartic and will hopefully help hold me accountable to finish. (That's right messy closet -- I'm talking to YOU!) So I hope you all enjoy the ride -- and if not just skip over posts tagged with 'Cure" -- I swear I'll try throw in some snarky posts on the side! xoxo, Ka)

So after that rambling foreword -- I think the caffeine took over (ok some maybeee I borrowed a little Adderall from the hubs. whatev, arrest me...) -- I can get started on what I actually meant to share...Here's goes:

As much as I was anticipating the Fall Cure, I'm finding myself a dragging a little bit. I know that was I dive in things will inevitably get worse before they get better. We finally have most of the our first floor in order (totally not counting my office, that'll be a separate post). It gets messy occasionally. The laundry room piles up from time to time and when I'm out of town for work Ian tends to have Wii festivals and our living room rug sheds in awe of his skillz. There are some doors and trim that could use touch up paint and the entrance needs some design attention, but other aside from these minor issues, our main living space is in pretty good order and supports our daily functions.

Our upstairs is an entirely different story. Comprised of a guest room, small hall, Ian's closet, our bedroom, and a "sitting room," the upstairs could pretty much be described as a pit. I've pulled it together a few times for visitors, but on a day-to-day basis it stays a sad, smelly mess. Between the dog hair, unfinished projects, and unpacked boxes, this area is pretty much crying for help.

We did make some major progress in swapping our bedroom area recently. I'm loving the new setup and Ian actually admitted he like it. (Of course he waited until I was in the shower and could barely hear him...and when I prompted him to repeat the praise reverted back his usual protests. Ugh. Boys.) So now I'm faced with tackling the rest of this project and I'm feeling a tad overwhelmed. I guess the only thing to do is roll up my sleeves, blare some Britney, and get to it.

Before I head up, I have to show you my absolutely favorite part of the cure....Weekly Flowers. I try to keep fresh flowers around the house year round, but always love when the Cure helps me justify this splurge. I love how they can transform a nightstand or a coffee table....and somehow they help me keep everything around them neat and tidy. After a week of sorting and purging, there's something therapeutic about bringing at thing of beauty into your space. LOVE IT!

Hear are this week's treats:

Two bundles of Solidago, trimmed super short and stuffed into my favorite little tumbler. Instead of discarding the stems I tucked them in the back and am liking how they sort of look like bamboo. I was totally channeling Eddie Ross (of Top Design fame...LOVE HIM!) His arrangements are always such perfection. Guess they have to be when you work for Martha!

With my next arrangement I stepped away from my usual monochromatic safety net. I HAD to have the hot pink Kangaroos Feet and I think they look pretty sweet with a generous bunch of yellow Alstroemeria. I tried them in a bunch of different vases, but ended up going back to this fun turquoise one. It adds an cheery pop of color to our industrial kitchen table.

That's all for now. Gotta go tackle our hellhole. More cure news soon.

Somethings in the water

2008-10-09T12:00:00.006-04:00

Bloggers -- you're killing me.

I suppose I've been reading too much Dooce...

And cooing over Nicole's nursery moodboards certainly isn't helping...

Maybe it's just my 26 year old hormones trying to tell me something...

But regardless of the cause when I stumbled on to Lund recently (via This is Glamorous) , I didn't stand a chance.

Adorable, quirky, even chic (!) kiddos everywhere!

Ack! Hubs - tell me no!

Motherly instincts be damned.

Repeat after me: Thou shall not reproduce before the age of 30.

Thou shall not reproduce before the age of 30.

Thou shall not repro......

ahhh! dammit, they're just all so freakin' cute!!!!

Forgive me...

2008-10-09T11:42:00.004-04:00

because, while I've never been one to be into politics, I can't ever shy away from funny.

And this is really freaking funny!

Ha-larious

2008-10-07T12:03:00.001-04:00

busy busy bumblebee...

2008-10-06T19:41:00.006-04:00

Someone's been having fun adding a little splash of yellow to her domain.

Here's sneak peak. Still needs drapes...and a rug...and shams...and art...

but it's definitely getting there.

The plan is to pull everything together this week in order to get some pics taken for AT's Fall Colors Contest.

Ambitious? yes

Especially given the sad state of my bank account after an unplanned adventure involving some unpaid parking tickets, the impound lot, and an expired out of state car registration.

Bastards.

But the hubs swears he'll help -- mostly since he was to blame for the little auto incident and is trying to redeem himself in any way possible -- so we'll see.

I'm also committing to AT's Fall Cure which starts this week. I always seem to fizzle out round week four (when I realize my plans don't exactly coincide with my budget) and can't seem to finish purging all the clutter. Maybe since I'll be blogging my progress (or lack there of) for the first time, I'll be forced to stay accountable. Someone out there make me clear out the guest room closet (you know the one -- it's stuffed floor to ceiling and should have been condemned months ago.)

Off to iron drapes (otherwise known as yell at Dan for losing the hotness that is Serena on Gossip Girl)

xoxo

No New Posts

2008-10-03T18:13:00.002-04:00

Until I'm finished pouring over it

No Boundaries

2008-10-01T22:36:00.003-04:00

Things that are rocking my world today

2008-09-24T15:04:00.003-04:00

Symmetry, order, and polka dots.

Does it get any better?

Actually yes -- add acrylic furniture, an upholstered headboard, a blinging pendant light, and a fierce shot of turquoise -- and hellloooo, could it be more Ka?!?

Kate Spade can do no wrong.

Is is normal to want to make love to a kitchen sink?

Actually that sprayer would probably be good for a few thrills....

And those sconces -- hellloo?

So hot.

I die.

Note to self -- must go buy bottles of Pellegrino immediately.

Not only does their color scheme sooo work in my living room bar area, they totally give that laid back luxe vibe you see in even domino shoot. Come to think of it... they are in every domino kitchen shoot. How did I not notice this before? They're like the vase of pink peonies.

Ubiquitous for a reason: pure perfection.

And finally, because I think I need to focus on spending more time whining to Ian about my deep-seeded need for a pair of Louboutins...

THE shoe that dreams are made of.

Hello gorgeous, come to mommy.

the joys of combined finances

2008-09-19T13:00:00.004-04:00

So I've been hassling the hubs to let me buy the four poster bed I've been obsessing over. Last week he HATED it. (And by HATED I mean despised more than anything on earth. It was although I suggested we start sleeping in a den of poo-covered porcupines...that were in mating season...and soundtrack to their pungent copulation was Rush Limbaugh talk radio...reruns. Really, he was NOT fond of this piece of furniture.)

So in one last futile attempt, I sent him a revised style tray, pleading that he give it one more glance. I got this email back:

"Looks Great!

I got the iPhone"

I'm picking up our new bed this evening.

Aren't we just a testament to the american dream :)

Blogging thru the storm

2008-09-18T10:38:00.004-04:00

Almost a week has gone by, yet Hurricane Ike has rendered my house powerless. Still. This wouldn't be much of a surprise if I, say, lived in Galveston, TX. But for someone plop in the center of the midwest - Cincinnati, OH to be exact - this is more that a little strange. And really irritating.

I probably wouldn't mind it so much if I didn't work from home...thus giving me the opportunity to absentmindedly flip the pantry light switch ten thousand times every day.

Nope, still, nothing.

My "better half" keeps complaining that my blog is "stale." Well, no shit, dear. We don't have power (the extension cord we've run through our neighbor's window hardly counts). No lights. No laundry. No refrigerator. And only the tiniest hint of an internet signal. Living in such squalor, I'm hardly inspired to post pretty pictures from people's houses that still have electricity. (bastards)

But, since bitter isn't a pretty color on me, here goes nothing.... Some lovely homes of some a-holes that are still enjoying the finer things in life -- like DVR's and microwaved pizza.

Usually this kitchen would have me cooing in delight over the flood of natural light, but, given my circumstance, I am officially over natural light. Give me fluorescent. Give me incandescent. Anything that doesn't come from a) my cell phone screen or b) the flashlight that Ian always manages to shine directly into my eyes.

I'm also aghast at their cute little blue mixing bowl. They're obviously about to bake something -- and by 'bake something," I mean taunt my inability to cook anything.

I hate you.

But not as much as I'm hating Taco Bell.

Ohhhhh, ahhhhh! Fabulous chandelier, right?

Wrong.

It sucks because it's not in my house. And even if it was, it wouldn't be working.

And finally, because three images of torture is all I could bear, a clipping from my all time favorite house. Though this does cheer me up just a bit...it also reminds me of stubbing my toe in the darkness last night as I came up my stairs from walking the dogs. Boo.

If you're out there Mr. Duke Electricity Man, please come fix things soon. I'm dying a little inside.

It's Fridaayyyy Bitches

2008-09-12T16:46:00.006-04:00

Something bright and cheery to offset the gloom of this rainy day...

and get this weekend started on a happy note.

I swear yellow stripes are good for the soul.

And who needs prozac when you have white penny round tiles?!?

Good design is my therapy.

And mmmm....this quilt is so yummy.

Makes me want to put to use my newfound sewing skills.

(the lighting, and the lamps, and the bed linens, and the wainscoting, and the flowers, etc, etc aren't half bad either. Love it all!)

So much fun -- this room is calling out for a party -- though I'm sure I'd spill red wine on the couch...

and I mean are you f*in' kidding me?!? Hot pink tufted velvet?

Love, Love, LOVE.

Off to begin celebrating the weekend with something cold and bubbly.

A Bedtime Prayer

2008-09-10T23:41:00.004-04:00

Thank you God

for today

You blessed my work

you blessed my play

Now I'm not trying to be ungrateful here, but if you feel like blessing Cincinnati Craigslist's furniture postings with a flood of vintage Eames, Bertoia, Saarinen, and Noguchi (at rock bottom prices), I would be eternally grateful....and a little more inclined to show up to church on Sunday...I'm just sayin'

Nighty Night.

xoxo

In response to Decor8 (LOVE her!)...

2008-09-10T19:07:00.006-04:00

Though I'm scared this will expose how tragically unhip I really am, this is what I'm humming along to lately (I'd say singing, but I'd never unleash that horrific-ness to anyone but the hubs and the dogs).

The first song on my Couch to 5K playlist is Stripper by The Soho Dolls. And while the song is completely badass my route of discovery is decidedly not. I first heard it on Gossip Girl last season and needed more. Thankfully some wonderful genius has created a YouTube group devoted entirely to songs featured in the show. Thank you whoever you are. Sadly, this is my go to site for music when I'm trying to pretend to be cool. You can use it too, I promise not to tell :)

I go WAYYYYYY back with my next pick. Bonnie Raitt was the artist du jour for my mom & I when I was growing up. I have many fond memories of us dancing around the house likes fools, doing our best bluesy croons, usually with a mop or broom as my mic. I think this is how she conned me into helping with the housecleaning. There's something about ten year old bopping around the house singing:

"I need a real man

Aint messing with no toy

I don't need no baby boy...

I need a man that loves me once

I want a man that loves me twice

Its a sticky situation babe

Keep me up late at night...

I need a real man..."

that's not entirely appropriate (good job there mom...), but I turned out alright.

I guess....

whatever...

Today Bonnie is my soundtrack for pretty much everything, but I especially like The Road is My Middle Name for my commute. (forgive the weirdo video....guess there arent many Bonnie fans on YouTube. Poor kids don't know what they're missing!)

I also gotta say, I saw her in concert last year and was put to shame. The woman's nearly twice my age and she is sursly SMOKIN'. Not to mention she totally rocked out.

Now, onto the truly shameful...I gotta admit I'm loving Lindsay Lohan's new(ish?) song Bossy.

Because, let's face it, I too am just a little bossy. I like it how I like it, when I like it, and, well, that's how it is. (Hear that hubs???) Ahhhh, if I only had her millions so I could make all that a reality.

On second thought...I think I'll keep my life. Samantha Ronson just isn't doing it for me.

Hopefully my final pick will redeem me a little bit.

The only fella to make my list, Ben Sollee is a local artist I've been crushing on since seeing him perform at the 21 c pajama party. Listening to him perform Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine on his cello literally have me chills. Granted Fiona was pretty much the soundtrack ad nauseum during all my angst-riddled teen years (those being from about 1994 until last week), but his version was A-MA-ZING. To quote my new hero Rachel Zoe...." I Die!"

Come to find out Ben's other stuff isn't half bad either. But since I just admitted to enjoying the music stylings of the infamous Ms Lohan, maybe your should take someone else's word on it: NPR named him one of their "Top Ten Unknown Artists" last year.

Discover him now....he's going to be BIG.

That's about sums it up....someone please berate me the the Lohan pick.

It's official.

2008-09-09T22:26:00.006-04:00

I've decided I MUST have a four poster bed.

NOW.

I'm totally enraptured by the ikea hemnes. The hubs seems to think the yellow is foul, but I know -- with the ridiculously ginormous yellow mid-century lamps that I'm about to get from an aunt in a freshly painted white room -- that it will be genius. I mean, like, unspeakably prefect. Especially with my fab chevron pillows.

Vision. I have it. He doesn't.

Thankfully he makes it for it with his boyish good looks, witty charm...and lucrative career.

Somebody has to support my design habit. All these pretty things don't pay for themselves!